Revenue Duties and Obligations.—The master of every vessel bound on a foreign voyage, before clearance, must give to the collector of the customs a list of the crew, specifying their names, places of birth and residence, and containing a description of their persons; whereupon he is entitled to a certified copy of the same from the collector. This copy he must deliver, under a penalty of $400, to the first boarding officer upon his arrival in the United States, and produce the persons named therein, unless the same have been discharged in a foreign country, with the consent of the consul or other commercial agent thereto certified in writing under his hand and official seal; or by showing that they have died or absconded, or been impressed into foreign service.[ [31] The duplicate list of the crew shall be a fair copy, in one uniform handwriting, without erasure or interlineation.[ [32]
The owners must also obtain from the collector of the customs a certified copy of the shipping articles. This must be produced by the master before any consul or commercial agent who may demand it, and all erasures in it or writings in a different hand shall be deemed fraudulent, unless satisfactorily explained.[ [33]
The master of every vessel of the United States, on arriving at a foreign port, must deposit with the consul, or other commercial agent, his certificate of registry, sea letter, and passport (if he have one,) under a penalty of $500. The consul returns them to him, upon his obtaining a clearance.[ [34]
Upon arriving in the United States, the master must report to the collector a list of passengers, specifying their names, age, sex, occupation, the country of which they are citizens, and that in which they intend to reside. This is under a penalty of $500.[ [35]
Vessels arriving from foreign ports must unlade and deliver their cargoes between sunrise and sunset, unless by special permission of the collector of the port.
In making out manifests of cargoes, the master must specify what articles are to be deemed sea stores, and declare the same upon oath. If the collector deems the amount excessive, he may charge them with a duty. If the cargo is found to exceed the manifest, the excess is forfeited to the government, and the master is liable to pay treble the amount.[ [36]
If the master land any of the sea stores, without first obtaining a permit, such stores are forfeited, and the master becomes liable to pay treble the value of them.[ [37]
The master subjects himself to a fine of $200 if the vessel departs on a foreign voyage without a passport.
It is the duty of the master, coming from a foreign port, to have a manifest of cargo and a copy of the same made out and ready for delivery to any officer of the customs who may board the vessel within four leagues of the coast.[ [38] Unless this manifest is produced, no merchandise can be unloaded from the vessel. The manifest shall specify the port where the merchandise was received, the port to which it is consigned, the name, build and description of the vessel, with the name of the master and owner, the marks and numbers of each package of goods, with the name of the consignee; and also the names of the passengers with their baggage, and the account of all remaining sea stores.[ [39]
If any goods are unladed within four leagues of the coast, or within the limits of any district, without authority from the proper officer, except in case of accident or necessity—which must be strictly proved—such goods are forfeited, and the master and mate incur, respectively, a penalty of $1000 for each offence.[ [40]